Prostate cancer outcomes following whole-gland and focal high-intensity focused ultrasound.

OBJECTIVE: To report the 5-year failure-free survival (FFS) following high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). PATIENTS AND METHODS: This observational cohort study used linked National Cancer Registry data, radiotherapy data, administrative hospital data and mortality records of 1381 men treated with HIFU for clinically localised prostate cancer in England. The primary outcome, FFS, was defined as freedom from local salvage treatment and cancer-specific mortality. Secondary outcomes were freedom from repeat HIFU, prostate cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS). Cox regression was used to determine whether baseline characteristics, including age, treatment year, T stage and International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) Grade Group were associated with FFS. RESULTS: The median (interquartile range [IQR]) follow-up was 37 (20-62) months. The median (IQR) age was 65 (59-70) years and 81% had an ISUP Grade Group of 1-2. The FFS was 96.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 95.4%-97.4%) at 1 year, 86.0% (95% CI 83.7%-87.9%) at 3 years and 77.5% (95% CI 74.4%-80.3%) at 5 years. The 5-year FFS for ISUP Grade Groups 1-5 was 82.9%, 76.6%, 72.2%, 52.3% and 30.8%, respectively (P < 0.001). Freedom from repeat HIFU was 79.1% (95% CI 75.7%-82.1%), CSS was 98.8% (95% CI 97.7%-99.4%) and OS was 95.9% (95% CI 94.2%-97.1%) at 5 years. CONCLUSION: Four in five men were free from local salvage treatment at 5 years but treatment failure varied significantly according to ISUP Grade Group. Patients should be appropriately informed with respect to salvage radical treatment following HIFU.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis and treatment of men with prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on diagnostic and treatment activity in 2020 across hospital providers of prostate cancer (PCa) care in the English National Health Service. METHODS: Diagnostic and treatment activity between 23 March (start of first national lockdown in England) and 31 December 2020 was compared with the same calendar period in 2019. Patients newly diagnosed with PCa were identified from national rapid cancer registration data linked to other electronic healthcare datasets. RESULTS: There was a 30.8% reduction (22 419 vs 32 409) in the number of men with newly diagnosed PCa in 2020 after the start of the first lockdown, compared with the corresponding period in 2019. Men diagnosed in 2020 were typically at a more advanced stage (Stage IV: 21.2% vs 17.4%) and slightly older (57.9% vs 55.9% ≥ 70 years; P < 0.001). Prostate biopsies in 2020 were more often performed using transperineal (TP) routes (64.0% vs 38.2%). The number of radical prostatectomies in 2020 was reduced by 26.9% (3896 vs 5331) and the number treated by external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) by 14.1% (9719 vs 11 309). Other changes included an increased use of EBRT with hypofractionation and reduced use of docetaxel chemotherapy in men with hormone-sensitive metastatic PCa (413 vs 1519) with related increase in the use of enzalutamide. CONCLUSION: We found substantial deficits in the number of diagnostic and treatment procedures for men with newly diagnosed PCa after the start of the first lockdown in 2020. The number of men diagnosed with PCa decreased by about one-third and those diagnosed had more advanced disease. Treatment patterns shifted towards those that limit the risk of COVID-19 exposure including increased use of TP biopsy, hypofractionated radiation, and enzalutamide. Urgent concerted action is required to address the COVID-19-related deficits in PCa services to mitigate their impact on long-term outcomes.

Interventions for obstructive uropathy in advanced prostate cancer: a population-based study.

OBJECTIVES: To develop and validate a coding framework to identify interventions for upper tract obstructive uropathy (UTOU) in men with locally advanced and metastatic prostate cancer (PCa) using administrative hospital data to assess clinical outcomes. There are no population-based studies on the incidence, treatment, and outcomes of this complication. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients newly diagnosed with PCa between April 2014 and March 2019 were identified in the English cancer registry. A coding framework based on procedure (Office of Population Censuses and Surveys Classification of Surgical Operations and Procedures fourth edition) and diagnostic (International Classification of Diseases, 10th edition) codes was developed and validated. Subsequent clinical outcomes were determined using Hospital Episodes Statistics to determine the utility of the intervention. RESULTS: A total of 77 010 patients newly diagnosed with locally advanced, and 30 083 patients with metastatic PCa were identified. Of these, 1951 (1.8%) patients underwent an intervention for UTOU according to our coding framework: 830 (42.5%) had locally advanced disease and 1121 (57.5%) had metastatic disease. In all, 844 (43.3%) had a percutaneous nephrostomy (PCN), 473 (24.2%) had a PCN with antegrade stent, and 634 (32.5%) had a retrograde stent. The mean follow-up was 43.2 months. The cumulative incidence of the use of these interventions at 1, 3, and 5 years was 2.5%, 3.6% and 4.2% in men with metastases compared to 0.5%, 0.9% and 1.4% in men with locally advanced disease. CONCLUSION: A new coding framework, developed to identify procedures for UTOU was applied in the largest study to date of UTOU in men with primary locally advanced and metastatic PCa. Results demonstrated that 2% of men with locally advanced PCa and 4% of men with metastatic PCa require an intervention to resolve UTOU within 5 years of their PCa diagnosis.

Urinary incontinence and use of incontinence surgery after radical prostatectomy: a national study using patient-reported outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether patient-reported urinary incontinence (UI) and bother scores after radical prostatectomy (RP) result in subsequent intervention with UI surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Men diagnosed with prostate cancer in the English National Health Service between April 2014 and January 2016 were identified. Administrative data were used to identify men who had undergone a RP and those who subsequently underwent a UI procedure. The National Prostate Cancer Audit database was used to identify men who had also completed a post-treatment survey. These surveys included the Expanded Prostate Cancer Composite Index (EPIC-26). The frequency of subsequent UI procedures, within 6 months of the survey, was explored according to EPIC-26 UI scores. The relationship between 'good' (≥75) or 'bad' (≤25) EPIC-26 UI scores and perceptions of urinary bother was also explored (responses ranging from 'no problem' to 'big problem' with respect to their urinary function). RESULTS: We identified 11 290 men who had undergone a RP. The 3-year cumulative incidence of UI surgery was 2.5%. After exclusions, we identified 5165 men who had also completed a post-treatment survey after a median time of 19 months (response rate 74%). A total of 481 men (9.3%) reported a 'bad' UI score and 207 men (4.0%) also reported that they had a big problem with their urinary function. In all, 47 men went on to have UI surgery within 6 months of survey completion (0.9%), of whom 93.6% had a bad UI score. Of the 71 men with the worst UI score (zero), only 11 men (15.5%) subsequently had UI surgery. CONCLUSION: In England, there is a significant number of men living with severe, bothersome UI after RP, and an unmet clinical need for UI surgery. The systematic collection of patient-reported outcomes could be used to identify men who may benefit from UI surgery.

Public reporting of outcomes in radiation oncology: the National Prostate Cancer Audit.

The public reporting of patient outcomes is crucial for quality improvement and informing patient choice. However, outcome reporting in radiotherapy, despite being a major component of cancer control, is extremely sparse globally. Public reporting has many challenges, including difficulties in defining meaningful measures of treatment quality, limitations in data infrastructure, and fragmented health insurance schemes. The National Prostate Cancer Audit (NPCA), done in the England and Wales National Health Service (NHS), shows that it is feasible to develop outcome indicators for radiotherapy treatment, including patient-reported outcomes. The NPCA provides a transparent mechanism for comparing the performance of all NHS providers, with results accessible to patients, providers, and policy makers. Using the NPCA as a case study, we discuss the development of a radiotherapy-outcomes reporting programme, its impact and future potential, and the challenges and opportunities to develop this approach across other tumour types and in different health systems.

Comparison of complications after transrectal and transperineal prostate biopsy: a national population-based study.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the complications of transrectal (TR) compared to transperineal prostate (TP) biopsies. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Men diagnosed with prostate cancer between 1 April 2014 and 31 March 2017 in England were identified in the National Prostate Cancer Audit. Administrative hospital data were then used to categorize the type of prostate biopsy and subsequent complications requiring hospital admission. Administrative hospital data were used to identify patients staying overnight immediately after biopsy and those readmitted separately for hospital admissions because of sepsis, urinary retention or haematuria. Procedure-related mortality and total length of hospital stay within 30 days were also recorded. Generalized linear models were used to calculate adjusted risk differences (aRDs). RESULTS: A total of 73 630 patients undergoing prostate biopsy were identified. Those undergoing TP biopsy (n = 13 723) were more likely to have an overnight hospital stay (12.3% vs 2.4%; aRD 9.7%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 7.1-12.3), were less likely to be readmitted because of sepsis (1.0% vs 1.4%; aRD -0.4%, CI -0.6 to -0.2), and were more likely to be readmitted with urinary retention (1.9% vs 1.0%; aRD 1.1%, CI 0.7-1.4) than those undergoing a TR biopsy (n = 59 907). There were no significant differences in the risk of haematuria or mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that TP biopsy had a lower risk of readmission for sepsis but a higher risk of readmission for urinary retention than TR biopsy. Use of the TP route would prevent one readmission for sepsis in 278 patients at the cost of three additional patients readmitted for urinary retention.

Impact of cancer service centralisation on the radical treatment of men with high-risk and locally advanced prostate cancer: A national cross-sectional analysis in England.

In many countries, specialist cancer services are centralised to improve outcomes. We explored how centralisation affects the radical treatment of high-risk and locally advanced prostate cancer in the English NHS. 79,085 patients diagnosed with high-risk and locally advanced prostate cancer in England (April 2014 to March 2016) were identified in the National Prostate Cancer Audit database. Poisson models were used to estimate risk ratios (RR) for undergoing radical treatment by whether men were diagnosed at a regional co-ordinating centre ('hub'), for having surgery by the presence of surgical services on-site, and for receiving high dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT) in addition to external beam radiotherapy by its regional availability. Men were equally likely to receive radical treatment, irrespective of whether they were diagnosed in a hub (RR 0.99, 95% CI 0.91-1.08). Men were more likely to have surgery if they were diagnosed at a hospital with surgical services on site (RR 1.24, 1.10-1.40), and more likely to receive additional HDR-BT if they were diagnosed at a hospital with direct regional access to this service (RR 6.16, 2.94-12.92). Centralisation of specialist cancer services does not affect whether men receive radical treatment, but it does affect treatment modality. Centralisation may have a negative impact on access to specific treatment modalities.

Impact of patient choice and hospital competition on patient outcomes after prostate cancer surgery: A national population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Policies that encourage patient choice and hospital competition have been introduced across several countries with the purpose of improving the quality of health care services. The objective of the current national cohort study was to analyze the correlation between choice and competition on outcomes after cancer surgery using prostate cancer as a case study. METHODS: The analyses included all men who underwent prostate cancer surgery in the United Kingdom between 2008 and 2011 (n = 12,925). Multilevel logistic regression was used to assess the effect of a radical prostatectomy center being located in a competitive environment (based on the number of centers within a threshold distance) and being a successful competitor (based on the ability to attract patients from other hospitals) on 3 patient-level outcomes: postoperative length of hospital stay >3 days, 30-day emergency readmissions, and 2-year urinary complications. RESULTS: With adjustment for patient characteristics, men who underwent surgery in centers located in a stronger competitive environment were less likely to have a 30-day emergency readmission, irrespective of the type or volume of procedures performed at each center (odds ratio, 0.46; 95% confidence interval, 0.36-0.60; P = .005). Men who received treatment at centers that were successful competitors were less likely to have a length of hospital stay >3 days (odds ratio, 0.49; 95% confidence interval, 0.25-0.94; P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: The current results suggest for the first time that hospital competition improves short-term outcomes after prostate cancer surgery. Further evaluation of the potential role of patient choice and hospital competition is required to inform health service design in contrast to the role of top-down-driven approaches, which have focused on centralization of services.

Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy vs laparoscopic and open retropubic radical prostatectomy: functional outcomes 18 months after diagnosis from a national cohort study in England.

BACKGROUND: Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) has been rapidly adopted without robust evidence comparing its functional outcomes against laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) or open retropubic radical prostatectomy (ORP) approaches. This study compared patient-reported functional outcomes following RARP, LRP or ORP. METHODS: All men diagnosed with prostate cancer in England during April - October 2014 who underwent radical prostatectomy were identified from the National Prostate Cancer Audit and mailed a questionnaire 18 months after diagnosis. Group differences in patient-reported sexual, urinary, bowel and hormonal function (EPIC-26 domain scores) and generic health-related quality of life (HRQoL; EQ-5D-5L scores), with adjustment for patient and tumour characteristics, were estimated using linear regression. RESULTS: In all, 2219 men (77.0%) responded; 1310 (59.0%) had RARP, 487 (21.9%) LRP and 422 (19.0%) ORP. RARP was associated with slightly higher adjusted mean EPIC-26 sexual function scores compared with LRP (3·5 point difference; 95% CI: 1.1-5.9, P=0.004) or ORP (4.0 point difference; 95% CI: 1.5-6.5, P=0.002), which did not meet the threshold for a minimal clinically important difference (10-12 points). There were no significant differences in other EPIC-26 domain scores or HRQoL. CONCLUSIONS: It is unlikely that the rapid adoption of RARP in the English NHS has produced substantial improvements in functional outcomes for patients.

National cohort study comparing severe medium-term urinary complications after robot-assisted vs laparoscopic vs retropubic open radical prostatectomy.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the occurrence of severe urinary complications within 2 years of surgery in men undergoing either robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP), laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) or retropubic open radical prostatectomy (ORP). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a population-based cohort study in men who underwent RARP (n = 4 947), LRP (n = 5 479) or ORP (n = 6 873) between 2008 and 2012 in the English National Health Service (NHS) using national cancer registry records linked to Hospital Episodes Statistics, an administrative database of admissions to NHS hospitals. We identified the occurrence of any severe urinary or severe stricture-related complication within 2 years of surgery using a validated tool. Multi-level regression modelling was used to determine the association between the type of surgery and occurrence of complications, with adjustment for patient and surgical factors. RESULTS: Men undergoing RARP were least likely to experience any urinary complication (10.5%) or a stricture-related complication (3.3%) compared with those who had LRP (15.8% any or 5.7% stricture-related) or ORP (19.1% any or 6.9% stricture-related). The impact of the type of surgery on the occurrence of any urinary or stricture-related complications remained statistically significant after adjustment for patient and surgical factors (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Men who underwent RARP had the lowest risk of developing severe urinary complications within 2 years of surgery.

A study into the association between local recurrence rates and surgical resection margins in organ-sparing surgery for penile squamous cell cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the significance of close surgical margins in organ-sparing surgery (OSS) in the treatment of penile squamous cell carcinoma (pSCC) and clinicopathological factors that may influence local recurrence. PATIENTS AND METHODS: At our tertiary referral centre, between March 2001 and September 2012, 332 patients treated with OSS for pSCC had clear surgical margins. As the focus was the impact of close clear margins on local recurrence, patients with positive margins were excluded for the purpose of this study. Our overall positive margin rate for OSS in penile cancer is 7.6% (42 patients). Analysis was carried out on an on-going prospective database, including prospective accurate pathological recording of surgical margins. Patients underwent OSS after multidisciplinary team (MDT) discussion. Local recurrence was the primary outcome measured and Fisher's exact test and time-to-recurrence curves were used in the analysis. All local recurrences were scrutinised by the MDT and were categorised into: true recurrences or metachronous new occurrences (i.e. tumours arising from a background of penile intraepithelial neoplasia and forming on an epithelial surface not related to the site of initial resection). A multivariate analysis was also conducted to elucidate other factors influencing local recurrence. RESULTS: In all, 64% of the patients had a <5 mm clear deep surgical margin, with 16% clear by <1 mm. Overall, 4% of patients had a true local recurrence, with a median time to recurrence of 6 months. In all, 53% were due to embolic spread, with residual occult local disease accounting for 47%. There was a statistically significant relationship between cavernosal involvement (P = 0.014) and lymphovascular invasion (LVI; P = 0.001) and local recurrence. Although multivariate analysis revealed that the extent of clear margin was not a predictor of disease (P = 0.405), we found an increased risk of local recurrence in the clear margin cohort of <1 mm compared to those of >1 mm (P < 0.001). Those patients considered to have metachronous tumours were scrutinised by our MDT, and eight patients (2.4%) were found to have new occurrences. Our overall proportion of patients therefore needing further treatment for either new occurrences or recurrent disease after OSS stands at 6.4%. CONCLUSIONS: Overall the presence of local recurrent disease in OSS in our experience is low (4%). We report an embolic mechanism of local recurrence, strongly suggested by the presence of cavernosal involvement and LVI. We conclude that a deep clear margin of >1 mm has a very low risk of local recurrence in penile OSS.

Quantifying severe urinary complications after radical prostatectomy: the development and validation of a surgical performance indicator using hospital administrative data.

OBJECTIVES: To develop and validate a surgical performance indicator based on severe urinary complications that require an intervention within 2 years of radical prostatectomy (RP), identified in hospital administrative data. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Men who underwent RP between 2008 and 2012 in England were identified using hospital administrative data. A transparent coding framework based on procedure codes was developed to identify severe urinary complications which were grouped into 'stricture', 'incontinence' and 'other'. Their validity as a performance indicator was assessed by evaluating the consistency with diagnosis codes and association with patient and surgical characteristics. Kaplan-Meier methods were used to assess time to first occurrence and multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for patient and surgical characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 17 299 men were included, of whom 2695 (15.6%) experienced at least one severe urinary complication within 2 years. High proportions of men with a complication had relevant diagnosis codes: 86% for strictures and 93% for incontinence. Urinary complications were more common in men from poorer socio-economic backgrounds (OR comparing lowest with highest quintile: 1.45; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.26-1.67) and in those with prolonged length of hospital stay (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.40-1.69), and were less common in men who underwent robot-assisted surgery (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.58-0.74). CONCLUSION: These results show that severe urinary complications identified in administrative data provide a medium-term performance indicator after RP. They can be used for research assessing outcomes of treatment methods and for service evaluation comparing performance of prostate cancer surgery providers.

Penile Doppler ultrasound in men with stuttering priapism and sickle cell disease -- a labile baseline diastolic velocity is a characteristic finding.

INTRODUCTION: Stuttering priapism (SP) is seen in sickle cell disease (SCD) and characterized by short-lived painful erections. Imbalanced vascular tone is the postulated cause and this may be reflected in changes in baseline penile blood flow as measured using penile Doppler ultrasound (PDU). AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the baseline penile blood flow characteristics in men with SCD and SP, by comparing with men without SP. METHODS: PDU findings were retrospectively analyzed in 100 men during flaccid state. Nine men had SP (age range 20-40 years), 4 had Peyronie's disease (PD) (35-48 years), 67 men had erectile dysfunction (16-67 years), and 20 men had normal erectile function (18-42 years). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The variables measured were peak systolic and end-diastolic velocities, and the Doppler velocity waveform. Values in men with SP were compared with those in the other groups. RESULTS: Median systolic and diastolic velocity was significantly higher in men with SP (systolic/diastolic velocity was 26/4 cm/second in men with SP vs. 13/0 cm/second, 14/0 cm/second, and 16/0 cm/second in men with PD, ED, and normal erectile function, respectively; P=0.0001). Men with SP had a characteristic low peripheral resistance (PR) waveform with fluctuating velocities; the diastolic velocity was consistently positive (2-7 cm/second) and fluctuated between +2 and +8 cm/second. In comparison, the other 91 men had high PR waveform and consistently negative diastolic velocity (range 0 to -2 cm/second). CONCLUSIONS: Men with SP had a unique baseline Doppler ultrasound waveform, with a low PR waveform and an elevated, variable cavernosal artery velocity. We propose that this may be the sonographic manifestation of a reduced, fluctuating smooth muscle tone and that PDU may have a role for diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of SP.

Isolated transcalcaneal talonavicular dislocation: a severe injury related to a low-energy mechanism.

Transcalcaneal talonavicular dislocation is a rare injury, with very few reported cases. Of these, most have been the result of high-energy mechanisms such as road traffic collisions or falls from a height. The management of this injury is challenging, and treatment is fraught with a high rate of disability, infection, and amputation. We describe the successful management of the first reported case of a low-energy transcalcaneal talonavicular dislocation in a 71-year-old female. Combined external and internal fixation was used to reduce and maintain the injury, with a resultant good functional and complication-free outcome at 1 year after the injury. Our experience highlights the prevalence of these devastating injuries caused by relatively benign mechanisms in an increasingly older population with osteoporotic bone. It also indicates that operative stabilization of a low-energy injury can be more successful than that with the traditional high-velocity trauma.

Comparison of the treatment of men with prostate cancer between the US and England: an international population-based study.

INTRODUCTION: The treatment of prostate cancer varies between the United States (US) and England, however this has not been well characterised using recent data. We therefore investigated the extent of the differences between US and English patients with respect to initial treatment. METHODS: We used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to identify men diagnosed with prostate cancer in the US and the treatments they received. We also used the National Prostate Cancer Audit (NPCA) database for the same purposes among men diagnosed with prostate cancer in England. Next, we used multivariable regression to estimate the adjusted risk ratio (aRR) of receiving radical local treatment for men with non-metastatic prostate cancer according to the country of diagnosis (US vs. England). The five-tiered Cambridge Prognostic Group (CPG) classification was included as an interaction term. RESULTS: We identified 109,697 patients from the SEER database, and 74,393 patients from the NPCA database, who were newly diagnosed with non-metastatic prostate cancer between April 1st 2014 and December 31st 2016 with sufficient information for risk stratification according to the CPG classification. Men in the US were more likely to receive radical local treatment across all prognostic groups compared to men in England (% radical treatment US vs. England, CPG1: 38.1% vs. 14.3% - aRR 2.57, 95% CI 2.47-2.68; CPG2: 68.6% vs. 52.6% - aRR 1.27, 95% CI 1.25-1.29; CPG3: 76.7% vs. 67.1% - aRR 1.12, 95% CI 1.10-1.13; CPG4: 82.6% vs. 72.4% - aRR 1.09, 95% CI 1.08-1.10; CPG5: 78.2% vs. 71.7% - aRR 1.06, 95% CI 1.04-1.07) CONCLUSIONS: Treatment rates were higher in the US compared to England raising potential over-treatment concerns for low-risk disease (CPG1) in the US and under-treatment of clinically significant disease (CPG3-5) in England.

Hospital volume and outcomes after radical prostatectomy: a national population-based study using patient-reported urinary continence and sexual function.

BACKGROUND: Improvements in short-term outcomes have been reported for hospitals with higher radical prostatectomy (RP) volumes. However, the association with longer-term functional outcomes is unknown. METHODS: All patients diagnosed with non-metastatic prostate cancer in the English NHS between 2014 and 2016 who underwent RP (N = 10,089) were mailed a survey ≥18 months after diagnosis. Differences in patient-reported urinary continence and sexual function (EPIC-26 on scale from 0 to 100) by hospital volume group (≤60, 61-100, 101-140, >140 RPs/year) were estimated using multilevel linear regression. RESULTS: Overall, 7702 men (76.3%) responded. There were no statistically significant differences in urinary continence (p = 0.08) or sexual function scores with increasing volume group (p = 0.2). When modelled as a linear function, we found a non-significant increase of 0.70 (95% CI -0.41 to 1.80; p = 0.22) in urinary continence and a significant increase of 1.54 (0.62-2.45; p = 0.001) in sexual function scores for a 100-procedure increase in hospital volume, which did not meet the threshold for a minimal clinically important difference (10-12 points). The results were similar for robotic-assisted RP (5529 men [71.8%]). CONCLUSIONS: These results do not support further centralisation of RP services beyond levels in England where four in five hospitals perform >60 RPs/year.

Determinants of variation in radical local treatment for men with high-risk localised or locally advanced prostate cancer in England.

BACKGROUND: Many factors are implicated in the potential 'under-treatment' of prostate cancer but little is known about the between-hospital variation. METHODS: The National Prostate Cancer Audit (NPCA) database was used to identify high-risk localised or locally advanced prostate cancer patients in England, between January 2014 and December 2017, and the treatments received. Hospital-level variation in radical local treatment was explored visually using funnel plots. The intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) quantified the between-hospital variation in a random-intercept multivariable logistic regression model. RESULTS: 53,888 men, from 128 hospitals, were included and 35,034 (65.0%) received radical local treatment. The likelihood of receiving radical local treatment was increased in men who were younger (the strongest predictor), more affluent, those with fewer comorbidities, and in those with a non-Black ethnic background. There was more between-hospital variation (P < 0.001) for patients aged ≥80 years (ICC: 0.235) compared to patients aged 75-79 years (ICC: 0.070), 70-74 years (ICC: 0.041), and <70 years (ICC: 0.048). Comorbidity and socioeconomic deprivation did not influence the between-hospital variation. CONCLUSIONS: Radical local treatment of high-risk localised or locally advanced prostate cancer depended strongly on age and comorbidity, but also on socioeconomic deprivation and ethnicity, with the between-hospital variation being highest in older patients.

Treatment-related toxicity using prostate bed versus prostate bed and pelvic lymph node radiation therapy following radical prostatectomy: A national population-based study.

Purpose There is debate about the effectiveness and toxicity of pelvic lymph node (PLN) irradiation in addition to prostate bed radiotherapy when used to treat disease recurrence following radical prostatectomy. We compared toxicity from radiation therapy (RT) to the prostate bed and pelvic lymph nodes (PBPLN-RT) with prostatebed only radiation therapy (PBO-RT) following radical prostatectomy. Methods and Materials Patients with prostate cancer who underwent post-prostatectomy RT between 2010 and 2016 were identified by using the National Prostate Cancer Audit (NPCA) database. Follow-up data was available up to December 31, 2018. Validated outcome measures, based on a framework of procedural and diagnostic codes, were used to capture ≥Grade 2 gastrointestinal (GI) and genitourinary (GU) toxicity. An adjusted competing-risks regression analysis estimated subdistribution hazard ratios (sHR). A sHR > 1 indicated a higher incidence of toxicity with PBPLN-RT than with PBO-RT. Results 5-year cumulative incidences in the PBO-RT (n = 5,087) and PBPLNRT (n = 593) groups was 18.2% and 15.9% for GI toxicity, respectively. For GU toxicity it was 19.1% and 20.7%, respectively. There was no evidence of difference in GI or GU toxicity after adjustment between PBO-RT and PBPLN-RT (GI: adjusted sHR, 0.90, 95% CI, 0.67-1.19; P = 0.45); (GU: adjusted sHR, 1.19, 95% CI, 0.99-1.44; P = 0.09). Conclusions This national population-based study found that including PLNs in the radiation field following radical prostatectomy is not associated with a significant increase in rates of ≥Grade 2 GI or GU toxicity at 5 years.

18 F-FDG PET/CT use in functional assessment of the testes: A systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Our study analysed previous studies employing positron emission tomography with co-registered computer tomography (PET/CT) in andrological patient evaluation and assessed the differences in 2-[18 F]F-fluoro-2'-deoxyglucose (FDG) uptake between three groups: healthy testes, benign and malignant testicular pathology. METHODS: Medline and Embase were systematically searched for studies involving FDG-PET/CT imaging of testes with results expressed as mean standardised uptake value (SUVmean ). A one-way ANOVA was used to compare SUVmean between three groups. All papers assessing andrological parameters were pooled to compare fertility data. RESULTS: Seventeen studies, including three relating to fertility diagnosis, with a total of 830 patients, were included in the review. One-way ANOVA showed a statistical difference between mean values of tracer SUVmean in healthy and malignant testes (Dif. = -2.77, 95% CI = -4.32 to 1.21, p < 0.01) as well as benign and malignant (Dif. = -2.95, 95% CI = -4.33 to -1.21, p < 0.01) but no difference between healthy and benign (Dif. = 0.19, 95% CI = -0.96 to 1.33, p = 0.90). There is some evidence to suggest that FDG uptake and testicular volume are positively correlated to total sperm count, sperm concentration and sperm motility and that germ cells are likely to account for the majority of testicular FDG accumulation. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that malignant testicular lesions demonstrate a significantly higher FDG uptake than benign testicular lesions or healthy testes. Some evidence also suggests that FDG-PET could visualise metabolic activity and thus spermatogenesis; however more studies are required to determine whether FDG-PET could also be used to diagnose infertility. Further studies should focus on correlating both sex hormone-serum levels and semen analysis results with imaging data.